


Remus Lupin's Guide to decorating for Christmas

by CinnamonFreckle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Garland, Christmas Party, Christmas traditions, It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Pre-Relationship, oblivious boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27764812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonFreckle/pseuds/CinnamonFreckle
Summary: Remus Lupin has very definite ideas about how to decorate for Christmas.  But, in a new flat with one Sirius Black, he may need to adapt some of these traditions, or perhaps make new ones?
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25
Collections: The Marauders Advent 2020





	Remus Lupin's Guide to decorating for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of Christmas themed joy with my favourite Marauders - tis the season to be jolly!
> 
> Character: Remus Lupin  
> Prompt: Garland
> 
> As usual I can't seem to write until right before a deadline. This is not beta'd, all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Thank you @Frumpologist for running this joyful little fest for Advent.

Remus knew that he could be a bit anal about how to decorate for Christmas. He blamed this fully on his mother Hope, she embraced the holidays so completely. A Christmas organised by Hope Lupin really gave meaning to the phrase ‘the most wonderful time of the year’.

His mother always made sure that the house was properly dressed for Christmas. Christmas at the Lupin household was not complete without a six foot tall tree, garlands framing the fireplace and running up and down the banister, a wreath on the front door, and stockings hung by the fireplace. The smell of cinnamon and gingerbread in the air for the whole of December, as if enchanted there by magic. Deep down, Remus knew that he wouldn’t be able to emulate this. So many of the memories were mixed up with memories of his mother, and without her there it was unlikely to feel right. But, that wasn’t going to stop him from trying.

Remus knew that it probably was a bit much for their small flat, but it was his first Christmas out of Hogwarts, and his and Sirius’s first Christmas in their new flat. Remus just wanted it to be perfect. 

Of course Sirius had a different idea of what were appropriate traditions for the first Marauder’s Christmas outside of Hogwarts. Mainly involving partying, and alcohol...lots of alcohol.

It’s not that Remus minded that Sirius had invited all of their friends over for a Christmas Eve party. Padfoot had found the flat, invited Remus to be his flatmate, and he had put up most of the rent. Much to Remus’s discomfort. No, what Remus minded was the fact that he had been left to decorate all by himself.

Sirius had simply commented that no one really cared how the flat was decorated, as long as there was enough firewhisky and butterbeer. In response, Remus had thrown the nearest item he could lay his hands on at Sirius’s head. Shame it had only been a cushion.

Remus had started with the tree. His mother would never accept a fake tree in the house, commenting that it wasn’t Christmas without the hint of pine in the air that could only be provided by a real tree. And so, off Remus trapsed to the forest he had spent his summers, determined to find the perfect Christmas tree. He knew that he wanted it to be the perfect height to fit in their small flat, with an even spread of branches, and the perfect top to attach a star.

Hours later, when he returned, tree in hand, with bits of pine stuck in his hair, and mud covered trousers; Sirius had muttered under his breath that Remus was mad.

Remus was adamant that both he and Sirius needed stockings to be hung by the fireplace. It didn’t matter that they were both too old for a visit from Father Christmas, tradition was tradition. Remus still had his from his childhood, lovingly knitted by his mother, but he had been horrified (though not surprised) to discover that Sirius had never been allowed to put out a stocking as a child. By the time Sirius had escaped home and moved in with the Potters, he had declared to Mrs Potter, in a show of bravado, that he was too old for stockings.

But Remus wasn’t having it. Initially he had decided that Sirius needed a hand knitted stocking, similar to his. But, after spending days wrapped in wool, all he had managed to produce was a series of ever more complicated knots, and a tangled ball of wool. Sirius had taken one look at Remus, wool wrapped around his neck, and somehow around his ankle and had burst out laughing. Remus had thrown the knitting at a howling Sirius, who was now rolling on the floor, and had stormed off to his room. 

In the end, much to his chagrin, he had given in and gone and bought a knitted stocking for Sirius. Sirius had smiled softly on receiving the stocking, remarking that he didn’t mind that Remus had been unable to make it, it was the thought that counted. He had hung it up on the fireplace, and looked over at Remus with a big grin. His first stocking.

But, for Remus, the most important decoration was the handmade garland for the fireplace. It had been a tradition started by his mother. Together they would go out into the forest, and find the various greenery in order to make the base of the garland. Spruce and holly would make up the main of the base, with ivy tucked in. Hope would explain the meaning of the plants to Remus, spruce for eternal life, holly for fertility and ivy for eternity and fidelity. As they tied the greenery together, and made the base, Hope would tell Remus the story of the Holly King and the Oak King, and the rebirth of the Oak King in mid-winter. It was Remus’s favourite story.

Once the base of the garland had been made, his mother would let Remus decorate the garland with pine cones, berries, dried oranges, and cinnamon sticks. When Remus was done, he would present the garland to his mother for her approval. Hope would always look the garland over, a serious expression on her face, before finally declaring that it was perfect. Together they would attach the garland to the fireplace, and then have hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream, while admiring their handy work.

This year Remus was determined to make the best garland he ever had. He had made a return trip to the forest, and returned with spruce, pine, holly, and ivy, which he had laid out on the kitchen table. Sirius, passing through to get a drink, had asked when Remus was going to be opening a florist’s shop. The growl he had received in response had Sirius beating a hasty retreat to his bedroom, muttering that Remus needed to lighten up.

As Remus started to put together the base, humming to himself sadly, he noted that it didn’t feel quite so festive without someone there to share it with. He looked towards the closed door of Sirius’s room, wishing he would come out and sit with him. 

Remus continued to work late into the evening, until he decided that the base was as good as he was going to get. Leaning back in the chair and stretching, he noticed that it was nearing midnight. He would finish the garland in the morning he decided, and made his way over to his room, barely managing to change into his pyjamas before passing out on his bed

Waking up on Christmas Eve morning, Remus smiled. All he needed to do was finish the garland, and then they would be ready for their Christmas party. He knew that Sirius would have bought more than enough firewhisky and butterbeer. He chuckled to himself, knowing Sirius he was probably going to make some sort of lethal punch which would have everyone regretting drinking it when they woke up on Christmas morning.

He casually made his way into the kitchen to make himself a coffee and some breakfast, when he came to a stop. The kitchen table was empty. No garland base, no dried oranges, holly berries, pine cones, nothing to decorate.

“Padfoot!” Remus yelled. “Where the hell is my garland?”

“What?” A bleary eyed Sirius, stumbled out of his room, pyjama bottoms hung low on his hips, and missing his shirt. “It is far too early for any noise.”

“Where, have you put my garland.” Remus replied through gritted teeth. “You might think it funny to hide it, but I do not!”

“I’ve got no idea what you are talking about,” Sirius smirked at Remus. “ I am going back to bed.”

“Padfoot, you utter bastard.” Remus shouted, and grabbing his coat he stormed towards the front door.

“Where are you going, Moony?” Sirius, called out in a sing-song voice.

“I’m going to get snacks, you're bound to have forgotten to pick up anything to eat.” 

As the door slammed behind Remus, Sirius’s laughter drifted down the corridor behind him. “Arsehole,” he muttered, and continued down the stairs and off to the supermarket. He hoped that a few hours away from the flat would calm his temper, and also give Sirius time to stop being an arse and give the garland back.

But now, it was mere hours until the start of the party, and Remus could not find the garland for the fireplace anywhere. He had even kicked Sirius out of his room to search, and all Sirius had done was open the door wide for him laughing.

“If you wanted to get in my bed, Moony, all you needed to do was ask.”

Remus sat on the sofa, with his head in his hands, occasionally looking up at the fireplace. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without a garland over the fireplace. Remus wasn’t even sure how he would get through the party. Perhaps it would be best if he hid in his room, at least then he wouldn’t bring everyone down with his mood.

Suddenly he heard a barking coming from Sirius’s room. Looking up just as the door opened and Padfoot bundled into the room, a festive garland wrapped around his neck, with one end trailing behind him.

“What do you have there, Padfoot?” Remus murmured. Smiling softly as Padfoot barked, and placed a paw on Remus’s knee.

“Have you made a garland for the flat?” Smiling when Padfoot barked. “Shall we put it on the fireplace?” Remus asked softly, grinning when Padfoot barked again.

Lifting the garland from around Padfoot’s neck, Remus carefully placed it across the mantlepiece over the fireplace, and then took a step back. 

“Well, what do you think?” He questioned, looking down at Padfoot, who barked and wagged his tail happily. “You know, it would be easier to talk to you if you turned back into a person.” Remus commented, a wry smile on his face.

In a flash of magic, Sirius was stood next to Remus, looking at the fireplace. 

“Do you like it, Moony?” He asked, an unsure look on his face.

“Yes, Padfoot, I think it’s perfect.”

“I know it’s something that you liked to do with your Mum, but I thought it might be better to make some new traditions rather than try and replicate what you did with your Mum.”

“Is that why it doesn’t have any traditional decorations on it?” Remus commented with a laugh.

“What do you mean?” Sirius smirked. “I think a dog and a wolf are perfect decorations.”

“I see you included a stag and a rat as well, very appropriate, but did they need to be covered in glitter.”

“Of course they do, it’s festive!” Sirius exclaimed. “They flash different colours as well, took me ages to get the spell right.”

Remus barked out a laugh. “Perfect!” 

As the first guests started to arrive by floo and through the front door, Remus heard a familiar voice.

“Jesus Christ, Moony, Padfoot wasn’t joking when he said that your house looked like Christmas had vomited in it.”

“Shut up, James, I think it looks great.” Lily smiled over at Remus, “you just wouldn’t recognise what a proper Christmas looks like.”

As James spluttered, Sirius leaned over towards Remus. “I think it looks great too,” murmured Sirius. “Perfect for our first Christmas.”

Remus smiled, maybe it was time to make some new traditions.

  
  



End file.
